‘We came to SA to survive’: family mourns couple killed in tragedy involving Motsoaledi vehicle

When Beauty Shoperai left Zimbabwe for South Africa nearly seven years ago, it was not to build wealth or chase luxury, it was simply to survive.

The 37-year-old mother settled in Bela-Bela, Limpopo, where she took on temporary jobs while her husband, Paul Masunda, sold firewood to support their children and extended family back home.

Today, both are dead alongside their one-year-old child after a devastating sequence of crashes on the N1 on Saturday involving an off-duty police officer and the official vehicle of health minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

Now, their grieving relatives say they are facing another painful reality — they cannot afford to bring the bodies home to Zimbabwe for burial.

“We don’t have anything and struggling to repatriate their bodies for burial at home,” Beauty’s brother Charles Shoperai told Sunday Times.

“The support we need is the department to help us financially with money, to help take the bodies back to Zimbabwe, because we don’t have anything yet.”

The tragedy unfolded on Saturday near Bela-Bela, though police only publicly released details of the incident on Tuesday.

According to police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe, Masunda was allegedly struck and killed by a vehicle driven by an off-duty police officer on the N1.

This happened after Masunda returned from accompanying Beauty to catch a bus to Zimbabwe.

Mathe said Beauty was then called back to the scene. She got off the bus, and walked back to the scene where her husband was struck by the car.

While attempting to cross the road with her two children, including the one-year-old strapped to her back, she was struck by Motsoaledi’s official vehicle, which was being driven by a member of the SAPS Protection Security Services.

“Tragically, the mother and baby succumbed to their injuries,” said Mathe.

The SAPS said Motsoaledi, his close protection officer and the driver remained at the scene until police and emergency services arrived.

Two separate culpable homicide cases are under investigation and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), has taken over the probe as both drivers involved are SAPS members.

But for the Shoperai and Masunda families, the police investigation is only one part of a much larger tragedy.

The family is now trying to cope with emotional trauma, surviving children and deepening financial uncertainty.

She was a bubbly person, loved people and always found it easy to connect with people, even those she didn’t know. She just had her way of making conversation. In our family, she was a pillar and always gave us guidance.

—  Victim's brother Charles Shoperai

Charles said his sister had moved to South Africa because opportunities in Zimbabwe were scarce.

“The reason to come to South Africa, it was because we were struggling in Zimbabwe, we don’t have anything to help ourselves or even a job”, said Charles.

Like many migrants living in small South African towns, the couple survived through informal work.

Beauty worked temporary “piece jobs”, while her husband made a living by cutting and selling firewood around Bela-Bela.

Neither had stable employment, but according to Charles, they worked hard to support relatives on both sides of the border.

He said his sister also helped care for their father and remained a central figure within the family.

“She was a kind and loving person,” he said.

“She was a bubbly person, loved people and always found it easy to connect with people, even those she didn’t know. She just had her way of making conversation. In our family, she was a pillar and always gave us guidance.”

The couple had been together for more than six years and were raising children in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Charles said his sister had four children in total, one living in Zimbabwe and the others in South Africa.

Now the surviving children are left carrying the trauma of losing almost their entire immediate family in a single day.

The child that survived the incident has reportedly been struggling emotionally since the tragedy.

“We are trying to move around with him just in order to keep him busy,” said Charles.

“He looks like he’s so handicapped.”

The grief has rippled through the family in both South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Relatives back home have been calling constantly, searching for answers and updates about funeral arrangements. “The family is not feeling well, it’s very sad,” Charles said.

“Even now, they keep calling us, asking what’s happening, what’s going on, and they are very depressed.”

He said the tragedy has exposed just how vulnerable the family already was financially before the crash.

When Sunday Times asked whether anyone in the family currently had stable work, Charles simply responded: “Right now, no.”

He said Masunda’s family was also struggling and hoping for assistance. “Because neither of us has anything,” he said.

The family now hopes government officials, including the health department and the minister, may intervene to help with funeral and repatriation costs.

The tragedy has drawn national attention since police revealed that Motsoaledi’s official vehicle was involved in the fatal collision.

Police have stressed that investigations are ongoing.

“The SAPS extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family during this difficult time,” Mathe said in Tuesday’s statement.